INTELLIGENCE REPORT: DIABETES-LINKED KIDNEY DISEASE ON THE RISE IN U.S.

Growing numbers of Americans are developing kidney disease, with Diabetes and high blood pressure linked to obesity appearing to account for most of the increase.

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease among U.S. adults has risen in a decade by almost a third, according to a report in the November 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"The aging population is part of the reason for the increased prevalence of kidney disease," said the report's lead researcher Josef Coresh, a professor of epidemiology at John Hopkins University in Baltimore.

"But there are now also substantially higher rates of obesity and Diabetes. These are both risk factors for kidney disease."

Some 13% of the U.S. population now suffers from kidney disease. In addition, more people have high blood pressure, which is often linked to excess weight, Professor Coresh noted. High blood pressure can damage the kidneys as well as the cardiovascular system.

Coresh's team collected data on 15,488 people in the 1988 to 1994 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). The researchers then compared levels of chronic kidney disease in these people with 13,233 people who participated in the 1999 to 2004 NHANES survey.

To establish the presence of kidney disease, researchers used measures of excess protein in the urine and the glomerular filtration rate, which measures the amount of fluid filtered by the kidneys.

Chronic kidney disease substantially increases the risk of heart disease as well as kidney failure and other complications.

Currently, there are about 500,000 people with kidney failure who are treated by dialysis or transplantation in the U.S. That number is expected to increase to 750,000 by 2015.

Type 2 Diabetes can create havoc with kidneys. But before the onset of Type 2, most people experience the reversible condition known as Pre-Diabetes. This occurs when blood sugar levels are elevated but are not high enough for a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes.

If neglected, Pre-Diabetes may lead to the Type 2 variety, which can only be managed for the rest of a person's life. Many Diabetics require daily injections of insulin and Type 2 Diabetes also greatly increases the risk of blindness, heart attack or stoke and the need for amputation.

NEW RESEARCH: OBESE PEOPLE MAY SUFFER FROM A CHEMICAL IMBALANCE IN THE BRAIN

Obese people may binge on food because of problems with a chemical in their brains.

Researchers believe that some individuals might be addicted to food because they have an imbalance of the brain chemical called dopamine, which produces feelings of satisfaction and pleasure.

Dopamine has already been linked with an addiction to drugs like cocaine, alcohol and even to gambling. But scientists admit it could be that obesity triggers a dopamine imbalance, rather than the other way round.

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory found that the extremely obese people they studied had fewer receptors for dopamine. And this could lead to binge eating as the body tries to stimulate the dopamine "pleasure" circuits.

In a study published in British medical journal The Lancet, researcher Gene-Jack Wang said he hoped his team's findings could be used to help treat obese patients, although he admitted the findings were still in the preliminary stages.

"It is possible that obese people have fewer dopamine receptors because their brains are trying to compensate for having chronically high dopamine levels, which are triggered by chronic over-eating," said Dr. Wang.

"However, it is also possible that these people have low numbers of dopamine receptors to begin with, making them more vulnerable to addictive behavior including compulsive food intake," he added.

Most of the drugs that alter dopamine levels are highly addictive and researchers say the only way to combat this problem might be good old-fashioned exercise - the body's natural way of boosting dopamine levels.

Obesity affects up to a third of Americans and a growing number of people world-wide. People with a body mass index (BMI) of over 30 are considered obese, with a healthy BMI reading being 18-25.

The BMI is calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres.

It is absolutely not too late to reduce your risk of heart disease! Losing weight now through diet changes and exercise can significantly improve your health if you have Metabolic Syndrome.

New research shows that postmenopausal women who reduced their Body Mass Index were then able to lower their blood pressure, triglycerides, blood sugar (glucose), total cholesterol and LDL "bad" cholesterol. These women also increased their HDL "good" cholesterol levels. Improving all of these measurements can definitely boost cardiovascular health.

You may need to adjust your health goals so that they are achievable in a shorter time frame. Being able to reach a goal is very rewarding and motivating. For example, if the thought of losing 20 lbs feels too overwhelming, then aim to lose 5 lbs, followed by another 5 lbs, and so on.

If you are having trouble eating healthy, low- carbohydrate food that is low in saturated fats every day of the week, then start by aiming to eat that way for only 5 days a week. If you find that you are failing every day, then adjust your expectations to a more realistic goal of eating healthily three times a week at first. Do the same with daily exercise.

When you meet or exceed your goals, reward yourself with a non-food item such as a pair of new running shoes, a night at the movies or a new book you've been meaning to read.

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As the word spreads about the health benefits of omega-3, the food industry is churning out scores of products that boast about containing the fatty acid.

These items range from eggs, yogurt and cereal to orange juice, butter substitutes and even mayonnaise.

But nutritionists say content levels of omega-3 in such products are often tiny and advise that there's still no substitute for fish as the best source of the heart-healthy fats DHA (docosahexaeoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).

For example, a carton of Breyer's Smart DHA Omega-3 yogurt has less DHA than a teaspoon of salmon.

Anyone concerned about mercury levels in fish, including pregnant women, should eat moderate amounts of low-mercury varieties like salmon or sardines. Walnuts, ground flaxseeds and tofu are good sources of another omega-3 fat, ALA (alpha-linolenic acid).

Supermarket products that just state they feature omega-3 may only have ALA content, without important DHA and EPA included.

A recent survey showed that 6 ozs of cooked Atlantic salmon, for example, had 3,650 mg of DHA and EPA compared with 270 mg in shrimp, 150 mg in one Land-O-Lakes Omega-3 egg and just 30 mg in one cup of Silk Plus Omega-3 DHA Soy Milk.

Vegetarians and vegans can get DHA from algae oil supplements, while people who don't eat enough fish, or don't like the taste of fish at all, should get their omega-3 intake in the form of daily fish oil supplements.

However, check the labels of the latter carefully for the levels of DHA plus EPA. Studies suggest an average of 500 milligrams a day is beneficial and the American Heart Association (AHA) says a person can get that amount naturally from eating fatty fish twice a week.

The statistics regarding obesity in America seem to get scarier by the month.

The nation now spends an estimated $177 billion a year on obesity-related health care. That's 83 cents of every health-care dollar.

Obesity is a primary cause of the nation's top killer, namely cardiovascular disease, and is playing an ever greater role in the increase of other disorders like Diabetes.

Yet so much of this crisis is self-inflicted because obesity - and many of its attendant condititions- can be reversed through weight loss stemming from the combination of a balanced, nutritious diet and regular exercise.

It's worth remembering that fact the next time you're tempted to eat at one of the more than 300,000 fast-food restaurants in the U.S., which mostly serve cheap, high-calorie, high-fat food in gargantuan portions.

By avoiding fast food, you stand a very strong chance of significantly increasing the quality of your life.

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PCOS is a major cause of female infertility, as well as irregular periods and excessive bleeding, obesity, skin conditions like acne and brown patches, excess body hair, female baldness and reduced sex drive.

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As a result, cells can absorb blood glucose through the receptor sites more efficiently for conversion to energy, thereby reducing levels of circulating glucose. A decrease in elevated blood glucose lowers the secretion of insulin, which are both major underlying causes of excess weight gain and obesity.

When insulin and glucose are in balance, weight loss is facilitated and a related disease like PCOS can be reversed.